For I Know the Plans I Have for You...

As a child I experienced something that I hold dear to my heart that very few people know about including my family. My mother was nearby but didn't realize what had happened. I was about the age of 10 years old when I experienced the following.

It was Saturday, and it was early spring. I awoke to a very beautiful and sunny morning. After breakfast I felt led to take my Bible and go across the small creek along the boundary of our yard. Coming from a family of 9 we had 2 very large gardens. The gardens were separated by our gardening shed which was nestled in a grove of pine trees and beside a fruit orchard. My mom was already working in the back garden pulling the weeds around the young plants. As I passed my mom working the garden, I remember thinking how excited I was to go across the creek and read my bible. I found the spot where we always entered the creek to play and climbed up to the other side. This was near our treehouse. The creek was shallow with the exception of one spot further downstream. On the other side of the creek was a field which was always planted with corn each year. I noted that the soil had not been tilled yet because the ground was deeply furrowed from the winter snow and ice. As I found a spot in the field to sit, I realized how chilly the air was and decided to run back to the house to grab my spring jacket. After grabbing my jacket and finding a spot to sit on the crest of a hill in the field I finally sat down. After sitting down, I opened my bible when the winds changed. A darkened cloud partially covered the sun, and a wind blew across me. Being unexpected this frightened me. I thought it was going to storm and got up to run to seek shelter. As I began to run to the edge of the field, I suddenly heard a voice! A calming voice coming from the direction of the sky and said, "Stop. Turn around. Sit down and read your bible." By this time the sky had cleared up and the wind stopped. So, I walked back to the spot where I had been sitting and sat down. Obeying the voice, I opened my bible and three words jumped out at me. "Watch my children". Now, as an adult I look back and remembered I had a children's bible. I no longer have that bible and do not know if those words actually existed in the children's bible during that time as a kid. I do not know if those words exist in any adult bibles...anywhere. In my readings I have never come across those exact words. To continue, after reading those three words I closed my bible and walked back to my yard. I crossed the yard to where my mother was still working the garden. As I was passing her, she saw me and asked what I was doing. I told her I was reading my bible. She asked what I had read. I told her it said, "Watch my children." She asked if I knew what that meant? I told her, "Sort of." She simply said, "Good girl." Neither one of us ever questioned it. I continued back to the house and never spoke of it to anyone until I became an adult. I don't know why with the exception of feeling it happened so naturally, so effortlessly and so second natured. I never questioned it until adulthood and wondered exactly what those 3 words meant. To this day I believe in my heart that God spoke to me that day in that field to train me, to test me and to get to know and recognize His voice for the day I would hear multiple voices. God knew I would have schizoaffective disorder and Bipolar. He knew I would hear many voices and sometimes multiple voices at one time. He knew it would be confusing and chaotic and test me to sheer will and strength. He knew I would need a plan and hope for my life. He knew I needed life...and Him. I will never forget that day in the field when God spoke. God is here. He always was and always will. We just need to listen.

Jeremiah 29: 11-14

11 " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, "declared the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." NIV

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